Sabang[1] is a town name on a island north of Banda Aceh on the northern tip of Sumatra. Strictly speaking, the island's name is Weh Island (Pulau Weh) and Sabang is the main town on the north coast, but the names are often used interchangeably. Among locals the place is more often referred to as "Sabang" but among tourists it is well known as "Pulau Weh". The island is best known for its snorkeling and diving.

Contents

Understand

Pulau Weh is a small island off the northern tip of Sumatra. The northern most point of the Indonesian archipelago is known as kilometer zero,or KMZero. It is best known by tourists for its world class snorkeling and diving.

Get in

By plane

Sabang has a small airfield, but currently reserved only for military uses.

By boat

Fast Ferry (~1 hour, Rp 60,000-economy 70,000-business 80,000-VIP) leave at 9.30am and 4pm from Banda Aceh and 8.30am and 4pm from Sabang Pulau Weh. For the moment the fast ferry called "Pulo Rondo" only run once a day depart from Ulee Lheue pier (Banda Aceh) at 9.30 am to Balohan (Pulau Weh)and from Balohan (Pulau Weh) at 4.00 pm. Until further notice. Motorcycles and cars are not allowed on the fast ferry but bicycles can be shipped for 50,000 idr.

Slow Ferry (~2.5 hrs,Rp 18,000-economy 26,000-business 32.000-executive) Leaves Banda Aceh at 2pm and from Pulau Weh at 8.00am. Sometimes there are two trips/day with an extra trip at 11am.

See the diving websites of Scuba WEH, Rubiah Divers and/or Lumba Lumba for up to date information in regards to getting to and from Medan to Banda Aceh and from Banda Aceh to Pulau Weh.

Get around

Travelling from Balohan port to Sabang costs roughly Rp30,000. From Balohan port (harbour) to backpacker hangouts of Gapang and Iboih Rp50,000 (negotiable) in shared transport (~1 hr drive) and to Semur Tiga Rp25,000 in shared transport (~20 min drive). From Iboih to Semur Tiga in shared transport costs Rp100,000 (~1 hr drive). Prices for minibuses (shared transport) from and to harbour are fixed (also if there is only one passenger in the car).

A possibly cheaper option is to arrange transport in becaks or on motorbikes. For this transport you need to bargain.
You can also take the whole taxi for Rp150,000. Bargain hard, since the prices are not set (although the drivers try to show you written notes with prices). A motorbike ride should cost around Rp30,000.

Alternatively you can rent motorbikes at Iboih and Gapang and Semur Tiga (Rp100,000 per day). Besides that bicycles are for rent in Iboih,Santai Sumur Tiga and several Places like Kartika and Holiday Hotel. If you want to cycle from the port to your hotel its best to rent a bicycle in Banda Aceh and take it with you on the boat.

See

jetty at Iboih (Teupin Layeu)

There's not much to see in the city of Sabang. Head straight to either Gapang or Iboih beaches (40-50 minutes from the ferry).

The main reason to go to Pulau Weh is for the beaches. Relaxing, swimming, snorkeling, diving. Don't worry about doing anything else.

Kilometer Nol (Kilometer 0), the most Western point in Indonesia, is on Pulau Weh. You can rent a motorbike from Iboih for around 100,000 Rp/day and head out on your own, or rent a minivan and guide to take your group.

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Do

Dive

Gapang Beach

Single dive starts at €25, cheaper the more you do. Island has around 20 dive sites which are way less populated than elsewhere in Indonesia, and the life under water is simply spectacular. Note that Iboih (and possibly other places on the island) are closed to diving on Friday mornings.

It's still considered a secret spot even amongst the diving community and Pulau Weh's reefs are genuinely untouched and offer something for every level of experience. The bottom topography ranges from large boulders on sandy slopes and deep volcanic pinnacles to craggy wall sections and coral gardens.

The house reef at Gapang Beach boasts a wide range of macro life including rare critters like Frog Fish, Star Gazers and Gurnards. Large pelagics like Mantas, Whale Sharks and Mola Mola also come to feed when the season is right. Pulau Weh offers some of the finest diving in Indonesia, yet it is still very much undeveloped.

Scuba Weh, ☎+62 823 70521752 (scubaweh@gmail.com), [2]. Dive school based in Iboih, turn right after you drive down to the village centre. New dive centre run by experienced manager with competent dive guides. Equipment is new and good quality, tank fills come from a european standard quality controlled compressor. Flexible dive schedules and individual attention make them good for photographers, videographers and experienced divers wanting deeper decompression diving. All PADI Courses offered.

Rubiah Tirta Divers, [3]. Dive school based in Iboih, with alot of resturaunts and accomodations nearby. Has a big boat and two smaller boats, nice staff and knowledgeable instructors. Local coconut artist Andy Coco works here as an instructor. They typically do only one dive in the morning and one in the afternoon unless you make arrangements as a group.

Lumba Lumba Diving Centre, [4]. Popular western-owned dive operator in Gapang beach. Offers accommodation for divers only. If you want something else than diving and hanging around with them 24/7, or tend to be more price-conscious, consider the other options too.

Steffen Sea Sports, [5]. Offers a more customized, relaxed and professional atmosphere with 31 years of experience. Owner is a great Malaysian guy that truly appreciates his customers and it shows in his attitude also. They had nice plans for future in Spring 2010, but are operating from Gapang near Leguna and Flamboyan resorts at least until 2011. Gear is new too, and maintained to strict standards. Highly recommended.

Other

Snorkeling - Lots to see including octopus, turtles, morays....
Nothing - nice place to do nothing as well :) - Rubiah Island Sea Graden off Iboih is AMAZING even for snorkelling and you can start at the southern end and float along in the currents to the northern end. You could hire a boat (with driver) for the afternoon and should not cost more than 150,000. Must do.

Learn

Learn Indonesian. Speak to Eva in Iboih beach

Work

Dive instructors are at the local dive centres are almost always westerners - backpackers that hang around abit longer. If you are an instructor, and persistant, you could be lucky and find work here. Divemasters are plentiful both among the staff and guests, so I wouldn't get my hopes up.

Buy

You can only find ATMs in the city of Sabang, which is about 40 minutes from Gapang and Iboh beaches. Two of three ATMs in Sabang should accept mastercard and have a maximum withdraw facility of 500,000 so consider bringing lots of cash with you. Recent experiences show, that mastercard usage is dependent on the bank issuing the card. Get the necessary cash in Banda Aceh if you don't want to rely on Western Union money transfer with banks in Sabang.

Eat

Gapang Beach
Gapang Beach has a few restaurants to choose from.

- Dang Dang Na is next to Lumba Lumba and serves a range of local and western food, prepare for a long wait though. Gado Gado is a peanut and salad based Indonesian dish well worth a try, also noodles and curry available. Best to order early as everything is on island time, and try to relax if your having to wait.

- Further down the beach there are Limbo Cafe, Zero Cafe and Mama Jungle (best to order in advance), all places can do fish and sometimes chicken BBQ's, give them a little notice first though.

- Barracuda is the newest around and is between the Lumbalumba Dive center and the souvenir shop. Owners speak very good English, and serve a comprehensive menu with the tastiest food on Gapang. Their curries and Tacos are just delicious.

Sumur Tiga
If you like it more for western taste, you should visit the east coast of pulau weh,the new tourist destination, for people who not only want to dive but also can. There are some accommodations at Sumur Tiga area.

- Freddies ([7]) who, next to his normal restaurant, daily from 7:30 p.m. serves delicious four course meals (let him know before 5p.m. that you want to join) for Rp65.000.

- Casa Nemo ([8]) has a limited menu but the people are very friendly and the food is fresh and good.

Iboih
In the village you find the ubiquitous, paper-wrapped take-away, Nasi Campur (7,000 Rp). Basically rice with some vegetables, maybe chicken (ayam) or egg (telur) depending on your request. The restaurants in the village are generally cheaper than those belonging to the bungalows. However many of these have the added bonus of free wifi to check your e-mails during meals.

Most restaurants have somewhat the same menu like fried noodle, fried rice (15,000 Rp) or curries (25,000 Rp.). The guacamole and avocado salads are excellent choices at most any of the bungalow restaurants.

You can expect to wait as long as an hour for your food even if the restaurant is nearly deserted. The best strategy is to arrive well before you plan to eat and place an order for a later time.

A few places that stand out are:

- Mama's that makes a superb chicken kebab. Also you can join in a 'family dinner' (Rp25.000, start at 7:30 p.m.; Acehnese 'rubber time'). Let her know in time that you want to join in.

- Olala also makes great food, try the taco or the superb pizza on pizza-night.

- Norma (at Oong's bungalows) makes homecooked communal meals (25,000 Rp). Just swing by before noon to announce your attendance and you will be treated to a feast.
- DeeDees serves delicious food. Try the Tempeh-burger.

Drink

There are no nightclubs or bars on Pulau Weh, if you like to party this is the wrong place to go. Alcohol is generally forbidden in the entire Aceh province, however some places may have it available. Beer (25,000 Rp) and banana brandy (80,000 Rp) makes up the selection of the local poison.

Popular places for a sundowner at Iboih includes Ozone Restaurant and Olala. Oong's, Iboih Inn and Yulia's all have beer in the fridge for sale, if you prefer drinking at home.

At Sumur Tiga, Freddies has a menu of drinks inside the four-course meal restaurant. You can even get wine here. Casa Nemo serves beer.

Sleep

Iboih

Backpacker style beach huts with hammocks on the balconies from RP50,000 per night (longstay) up to RP150,000 (short stay) depending on the location and features of the bungalow (and your negotiating ability). Shared bathrooms (squat toilets) are the norm, but more and more bungalows with private western toilets are being built (ca. 150,000 Rp).

Walk east along the road from the village and you'll find the newer, more expensive upmarket bungalows with air-conditioning (starting around RP300,000). Walk west past the village and up along the path into the jungle to find the budget accommodations. From the village you find the following in this order:

Erick's Green House. is a higher standard very close to the sandy beach. Erick speaks good English, is very together and in a fountain of information. As many of the rooms are attached to one building, there is a community feel to this place.60,000-100,000 Rp.

Fatimah's bungalows. 50,000 Rp.

Mamamia. 50,000 Rp.

Olala. started with two bungalows right on the water, but has since built a few more. If you're lucky enough to get one of the original shacks, you can watch the fish from the hammock on the balcony.100,000 Rp.

Oong (Norma's place). Norma is the default location for return visitors. Expect a communal atmosphere with home cooked meals. Norma is an institution!50,000-100,000.

Iboih Inn. . More up-market, Iboih Inn offers a range of bungalows from cheaper smaller one with no views to huge air-conditioned places, right by the sea. This is the closest you get to luxury in Iboih. They also have their own dive shop.100,000-370,000 Rp..

Yulia's Bungalows and Restaurant. . At the very end of the path sits Yulia's. This place seems more professionally run, i.e. less of a family atmosphere. The views from the bungalows, their spacious positioning, and immediate access to one of the better snorkeling spots more than make up for the higher price long walk. As a bonus, the shared bathrooms have clean western toilets and showers.90,000-150,000 Rp..

Sabang

Although not much of a tourist destination in itself, there are a few guest houses and "resorts" if you want to be someplace closer to town life. There are a few in the residential areas of town, but the more interesting ones are on the seaward side of town.

Gapang

There is less accommodation available right on Gapang beach. This means that the prices are higher, and it is somewhat more exclusive. There is a largish upscale resort close to the entrance to the beach, which offers some of the best accommodation on Gapang (glass windows, hot showers, a/c). Don't be scared away though, you can always haggle and the beach has more to do than Iboih for a non-diver.

Kincir Long Beach

Also known as Teupin Redeup. A secluded beach just before the forest reserve three km northeast from Iboih. Seulako View Cafe & Bungalows has three bungalows and 3 rooms above a friendly seafront restaurant. Divers at Steffen Sea Sports can book one of the dive centre's new, colourful rooms.

Sumur Tiga and Anoi Itam Bay

The newest accommodations with higher standard are to find on the east coast of Pulau Weh Island.

Fredies Santai Sumur Tiga with nice Bungalows (Fan)in traditional Style, hot and cold water shower (no bath), drinking water tank in the room and Restaurant with good food and drinks.

Casa Nemo also with nice Bungalows (Fan) in traditional Style, hot and cold water shower (and bath), drinking water tank in the room, good views from the hammock and seats on the veranda. Diving provided.

Rasa Seni Hotel Resort Anoi Itam, the newest and most comfortable accommodation on Pulau Weh, with air conditioning, hot and cold water shower and studios also with bathtub and mini bar. Restaurant with international food and Asian specialties. Very good dive spots in front of the Resort in Anoi Itam Bay

Get out

Pulau Weh is at the end (or beginning depending on your point of view) of Indonesia. From here you can only go back to Banda Aceh.